2018 Fellowship of Christian Assemblies International Convergence in Winnipeg May 1 to 4

This year's FCA International Convention in Winnipeg from May 1 to 4 was called a "Convergence," a converging of different streams, different ethnicities, different nations, different generations, different people groups to converge into one unified flow.  It was a converging of streams and of rivers.  Jesus talked about "rivers of living water" flowing from the hearts of those who believe on Him as the scriptures have said (John 7:37-39).  

The Welcome signs on the highway coming into Winnipeg from every direction announce this city as being the "Heart of the Continent."

The Convergence theme was therefore welcoming delegates to encounter the "Heart of the Father in the Heart of the Continent!"

The place of Convergence was on the 11th Floor of the Radisson Hotel, which is right in the very Heart of the City, right next door to the Bell MTS Place where the Winnipeg Jets play.  It so turned out that our Convergence dates came right in the middle of the Stanley Cup play-off series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Nashville Predators, with home games in Winnipeg on May 1 and 3, right smack dab in the middle of the FCA International Convergence!

 Massive street parties were held in Winnipeg right on those dates.

Not only did some 15,000 Winnipeg fans meet inside of the Bell MTS Centre right next door to the Radisson Hotel...

 ...but many more filled the streets all around right next door to where the Convergence was held!

Meanwhile, inside of the Radisson Hotel, some 350 delegates at the 2018 FCA International Convergence lined up to receive a very well prepared banquet meal.

This is the opening banquet meal that was served at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, in order to kick the Convergence off.

Meanwhile, the First Nations of Manitoba were lining up to lead a Procession of the Nations into the main meeting room in Ambassador Room B to kick off the opening evening celebration at 7:00 p.m.  The man who is the fourth from the left in a buckskin jacket is Wally McKay, a Grand Chief Emeritus who was for many years the Grand Chief of the First Nations in Ontario, and has also been the runner-up to become the Grand National Chief of over 600 First Nations in Canada who are a part of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), an organization that represents some 900,000 Native people.  He is very influential in Native circles, and today advises chiefs and band councils right across Canada.

Here, the First Nations are lining up to form a procession together with representatives and delegates from some 14 nations that were represented at the Convergence, including Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Pakistan, Uganda, Mexico, Columbia, Jamaica, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Nigeria, Canada and the United States of America.

 This couple, were international delegates who flew all of the way in from Kenya for the Convergence, and were a part of the Procession on the opening night!

The delegation from Kenya included (left to right) Bishop Robinson Matende and his wife Margaret Alinah Matende, who had their picture taken with Dr. John Lucas, a spiritual father within the FCA for many years, and on the right is Rev. Gilbert, Kinglol Emonyi who also flew in from Kenya for this gathering.

As the Procession of the Nations marched in, Fred and Alisa Moose, worship leaders from the First Nation Family Worship Centre in Winnipeg played the Native Drum while Jacob McLean prayed The Lord's Prayer in the Ojibway language while Marie from the Peguis First Nation expressed the same prayer in sign language.

How fitting, how appropriate, that a Convergence with the theme, The Heart of the Father in the Heart of the Continent, should be opened with the prayer, not to Mother Earth, but to "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" This was all being expressed through the heartbeat of the Father, the Native Drum being played to the Father's rhythm..

This was followed by a dynamic presentation from the Crystal City House of Prayer who creatively and with actions accompanied Beckah Shae's video, Heartbeat.  This dynamic video is on YouTube, and can be seen here.  The lyrics fit in so well with the Convergence theme, some of which are as follows:

"And His blood has ransomed people for God                                                                                             
 From every tribe and language, people, every nation,                                                                         

 Where warriors have fallen, there's a resurrection comin'                                                                             
 It's Your time to rise and shine, oh wake up, you sleeping giant!

"The sounds of injustice are being healed by the peace of Yahweh,                                                           

 Who's bringing us power through unity

 Where warriors have fallen, there's a resurrection comin'

 Dry bones, dry bones, come alive, yeah wake up, you sleeping giant!

"Brave ones stand firm and listen to your destiny,                                                                                 

 The rhythm of our Father moves with victory!

 Where warriors are fighting, there's a revival igniting,                                                                           

 Consume us oh God, and arise, blazing fire!

"Your heart beat, I feel it, I feel it.  Your heartbeat, I feel it, I feel it."

Significantly, this phrase about "the awakening of the sleeping giant" is a phrase that Billy Graham used of the Native North Americans back in 1975.  Many believe that in the year that Billy Graham passed away, that we would start to see the fulfillment of this prophetic word that would release not just "one" evangelist, but many evangelists would rise up to confront the Pharoahs of this age.

This was followed by a special welcome from Winnipeg City Councillor Scott Gillingham, a strong believer himself, and he brought greetings from the Winnipeg Mayor and City Council.  He made special mention of Lucy Guiboche, who was a registered delegate at the Convergence from the First Nations Family Worship Centre.  Lucy was appointed as a member of the Mayor’s Indigenous Advisory Circle (MIAC). She is officially looked to as an Elder in the city of Winnipeg.

This was followed by a special greeting and welcome from Andrew Micklefield, a member of the Manitoba Legistive Assembly, representing the Winnipeg constituency of Rossmere.  Andrew was appointed chair of the seven-member committee made up of representatives from First Nations, Metis and other groups involved in child who will help the province to review and reform the child welfare system.

Just before a more extended time of praise, worship and prophetic declarations took place, the Maranatha Flagging and Dance Team led by Ruth Braun did a creative worship number to Jeremy Riddle's powerful worship song, All Hail King Jesus, produced by Bethel Music.  The number was not recorded at the Convergence on the evening of Tuesday, May 1, but it was recorded the following Sunday morning, May 6, at the Maranatha Niverville congregation, and can be found here.

The praise and worship for the rest of the evening was powerful with whole-hearted audience participation.  The praise and worship was led primarily by Elaine Isaak from Maranatha Niverville, and by Joy Marasigan from the Followers of Christ Fellowship in Winnipeg, a Filipino congregation.

The Praise and Worship on that opening night, as throughout the Convergence, was passionate, vibrant and heart felt as the love of the Father penetrated into the hearts of the people!

At a certain point in the worship, Duane Siemens called up people from the younger generation (ages 18 to 25) to come forward, and then for fathers and mothers from the older generation to come forward, and to stand behind them, and to bless the next generation while the young gave honor to the previous generations.

Part of the "awakening giant" is the next generation who need to be released like arrows to go even further than the past generation, and with their blessing.

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.  They shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:4, 5).

"He will...turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke1:17).  Strong prayers ascended right into the Throne Room of Heaven for the next generation of leaders.

As the Presence of the Lord grew stronger, at a certain point it was declared that in Bible times, whenever the glory of God showed up, His people were singing about His goodness, and His mercy and loving-kindness which endures forever.  The nations of the earth have had a veil over their eyes which has prevented them from beholding the glory of the Lord because of the deception that has been believed that God is not good all of the time.

In His Presence, good things happen.  Healing happens.  Reconciliation happens.  On this note, Jacob McLean who had prayed the Lord's Prayer in Ojibway at the very beginning of the Convergence shared his heart to see the gap between the Native and Non-native people of North America bridged.

He referred once again to the prophetic word by Billy Graham back in 1975, and how that a sleeping giant is being awakened that will produce a shift in the church, and a shift in the nations.

Jacob's brother Raymond McLean, pastor of the First Nations Family Worship Centre in Winnipeg then came forward to release a powerful word.  Raymond is the one in a buckskin jacket just left of centre.

Surrounded by international as well as North American delegates, standing arm-in-arm, Raymond called the church to awaken, and to rise up at this hour, to arise and to shine, for our light has already come, and the glory of the Lord is rising upon the church in this hour!

Raymond released a powerful prayer for reconciliation, and for the healing of the nations, and that the Spirit of the living God would arise from within each and every nation on the earth!  There was a strong prayer for the reconciliation of the nations and a prophetic demonstration of our unity in the Body of Christ!

The entire audience was unified, and was not merely a spectator, but a participant in this and other declarations, as delegates took off their hats as "pastors" or "clergy," and put on their hat as sons and daughters of the heavenly Father!

Significantly, the Praise and Worship Team from the First Nations Family Worship Centre in Winnipeg who has licensed some 25 First Nations ministries with the FCA in Manitoba is called the "Father's Heart Worship Team."  They are a versatile team, and can release either country gospel, contemporary praise and worship, or traditional or ancient songs and sounds which are now being released into today's church as a new song and a new sound that will pull down ancient strongholds!

Wednesday Morning, May 2

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. -- Praise and Worship Led by the Teen Challenge Choir

Both Wednesday and Thursday mornings of the Convergence were opened up with powerful, impacting praise and worship along with testimonies of transformed lives from the Adult and Teen Challenge Choir led by Terry Thiessen.  Songs such as "You called my name, and I came out of that grave" were sung passionately and from the depths of the hearts of the choir members.

This ministry has so many examples of lives being transformed from lives of addiction and bondage through their ministry bases in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, and in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

9:15 to 10:15 a.m.  Morning Plenary Session 
with David Braun and Duane Siemens

In the first morning plenary session, David Braun and Duane Siemens effectively portrayed the Prodigal older brother (Duane) and the younger brother (David) from Luke 15.

"You even get Starbucks when I get Tim Horton's!"  The message got through that it is time to join the party as sons and daughters of God!

Morning Workshop #1  10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The Father's Heart for Israel in Relationship to the Nations -- Raymond McLean

Irvin Wilson introduced Raymond McLean for this workshop on the Father's Heart for Israel in relationship to the Nations.  Irvin Wilson and his wife Dolly are FCA ministers who are from the Peguis First Nation.  Chief Peguis was a famous chief who welcomed the first settlers into the Red River Colony from which other immigrants settled in Western Canada.  Chief Peguis once made the statement, "I want for the word of God to always be spoken on this land!"

Raymond McLean shared effectively on how the Jewish people in Israel, as well as the Palestinians, relate to the First Nations of North America, especially when they see that they are being authentically who they are as they express themselves in their dress, their instruments, their songs and their dances that come from within their nations.   The people in the Holy Land very much relate to that, and begin to open up their hearts to the love of the Father when they see the knowledge of their God has come to the ends of the earth, and those whose lives have been changed by Him are now returning to Jerusalem to say, "Thank you!"

Morning Workshop #2  10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The Father's Heart for Addicted People--Steve Paulson 

Founder of Adult and Teen Challenge in Central Canada

"In the Roman context, when Rome conquered a city, they sent an apostle (sent one), someone who would look like, act like and function like Rome.  An apostolic father is to establish God's Kingdom so that it looks like, acts like and functions like Heaven!"

"We can be sons and yet act like orphans when we perceive that we are being rejected, abandoned or alienated.  We want, rather, to help people to grow into their identity as sons of God where we are never rejected, abandoned or alienated by our heavenly Father!

Morning Workshop #3 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The Father's Heart for Families -- David Bechtold

David Bechtold and his wife Sara came with a passion to equip an army of godly families, all packaged with testimonies, humor, grace and hope.  "The greatest small group ever designed is the family."  This ministry is strengthening families through Examples, Encouragement, Equipping and Events.

This interactive workshop influenced church leaders with proven strategies on how to engage families, develop leaders, minister to children, and pray for revival!  "Healthy parents build strong families.  Healthy families grow churches.  Healthy churches influence communities.  Healthy communities impact a region."

The non-religious approach to life that both Dave and Sara Bechtold take to life is both genuine and refreshing.

Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 p.m.

On Wednesday evening, May 2, Heritage Awards were given to two couples who have served the Lord faithfully for 40 years or more with the FCA, and who continue to be faithful unto this day.  Standing on the platform to present the awards are respected senior elders in the FCA such as John Sprecher and Floyd Nicholson from the United States, and John Lucas III (holding the mike), and John Lucas II and Glen Forsberg, all senior trans-local elders in Canada.

Awards were presented to Dennis and Marlyne Seeman from Bethel Bible Fellowship in Edmonton, and to Clifford and Donna Stalwick, retired chancellor of the Living Faith Fellowship in Caroline Alberta, a local church and Bible College which is now known at the Clearwater College.

The picture above was taken on Thursday evening, May 3, when the same people gave tribute and presented an award to Barbara Livingstone who together with her husband served as a missionary to Israel for many years.

The Thursday evening service was also graced by the ministry of Island Breeze Manitoba.  This group, based in Steinbach, Manitoba, is associated with Youth With a Mission, and was founded by indigenous believers from the South Pacific Islands (Fiji and Samoa) who have answered the call to come to Manitoba as missionaries.  They have come primarily to serve, to under-gird, to love and to support ministry to the First Nations of Manitoba.

Several men from Island Breeze first of all sang a powerful Honor Song a cappella and in beautiful harmony to the words of Joshua 1:9 in the Fijian language. The church is right now at a transition point similar to where Israel was at between the Wilderness and the Promised Land just before they went in to possess their inheritance.  It is going to take strength and courage for our spiritual leaders to step into new territory occupied by the enemy, but the Father's promise is to be with us to give us the territory that we are willing to believe for.  We must step out in faith to possess the promises that are ours in Christ!

This was followed by the Island Breeze ladies doing a beautiful dance to the worship song, This is How We Worship!  The worship may be unique in every tribe and nation, but it is holy and acceptable when it is offered from the deep heart to the one true and the living God!  His House will be a House of Prayer for all nations (ethnos)!  A video of this beautiful dance can be seen here.

On that Wednesday evening of May 3, Dr. Matthew Thomas from Itarsi, India preached a powerful message on Bringing Christ to the Nations through Legacy.  A few of his impacting statements are below:

"Legacy starts now!  Begin building your legacy now!  Pass your legacy on to those who come after."

"Coco-Cola has reached the darkest parts of India, but we have not gotten there with the gospel because we are too comfortable!"

"You will never know the heart of the Father unless you go OUT!"

"Find your Timothy!  Find your Elisha!"

Thursday morning , May 3

9:15 to 10:15 a.m.  Morning Plenary Session with Dan and John Hammer

Before there was even an earthly realm, there was an eternal Father and an eternal Son.  Dan and John Hammer, as a father-son ministry team, demonstrated so beautifully something of what the Father-Son relationship looks like in the heavenly realm by reflecting it into the earthly realm!  Dan Hammer started out by speaking of the importance of fathers blessing their families, and imparting a father's blessing.  Fathers need to turn their hearts towards their children.  They need to speak to them, and bless them!

They need to help them to see the big picture.  They need to lay hands on them, and impart blessing.  They need to teach integrity, and make the home a place of love, safety and unity where every child can be affirmed in their own unique identity.

John Hammer then followed his father with a strong message that made for a powerful one-two punch!  Sons need to continue to fight for the family, and to take new ground.  They need to continue to mature and to be successful.  They need to continue to sing the songs, tell the stories and share the testimonies from the past as a legacy to build upon.  The sons and the daughters need to speak honor and to live honor, to honor their fathers and their mothers.  

They need to desire the father's blessing and to not despise their father's blessing like Esau did.  They need to submit to the Father's blessing so that they can go further.  The session ended with Dan Hammer blessing his son, and John Hammer honoring his father in a very moving exchange.  This opened the door for the assembly to break into small groups, and to encourage fathers and mothers to pray with their sons and daughters, both spiritual and natural sons and daughters.  It was a powerful prayer time that released deep inner healing to old father wounds from the past so that the next generation can rise up, and go further!

Morning Workshop #1 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Experiencing the Heart of the Father

in Prayer and in the Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Tom Alexander

Tom Alexander from the Two Rivers Church in Gilbert, Arizona, has a proven ministry of church planting and has also served as a missionary with Faith Bible Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for ten years.  The secret to to expanding the Kingdom and to making disciples of all nations is really profoundly simple and simply profound.  It is to be a person of prayer, to hear God and to obey.  Tom Alexander has many powerful stories from his own life and ministry to illustrate this profound and yet simple  truth.
"A problem is an opportunity for God.  This outlook will take you into a life of prayer, and make you make for for the Holy Spirit in your life and ministry."

Morning Workshop #2 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The Father's Heart for Releasing Women and Youth in Ministry -- Dolly Wilson 

Dolly Wilson together with her husband Irvin founded and pastored the Peguis Church on the Peguis First Nation for 24 plus years.  Dolly shared honestly and effectively of her own journey of trying to behave as a pastor's wife and often going through the motions of "playing church" without really finding her own unique voice and calling in Christ.  She has come to know and to understand that a religious system will keep one in bondage and never really release people to be who they are, yet where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

Today, Dolly ministers alongside of her husband Irvin, and they flow together as partners, each with their own unique voice.  Irvin and Dolly have a passion to see the ministry of the church being unloosed  through the releasing of both women and youth in ministry!

Morning Workshop #3  10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The Father's Heart for Apostolic Transition

Randy Wengel, Tom Campbell, Kevin Penner and Daniel Fewster

Randy Wengel, who is a spiritual father in a number of ministries in Winnipeg and in Canada opened up this session by opening eyes to the reality that whether we are fully aware of it or not, the church is really in a time of apostolic transition right now, and it is marked by a tension between two eras--between what God had done and what He is about to do!  God's invitation is for us to join Him in His mission in what He is about to do on the earth!
Under the old wine-skin, there has been a turnover of pastors every few years.  Visions and dreams have been lost.  Relationships have been broken.  Sons have been orphaned, and fathers have been dishonored.

The language of the Kingdom is not institution but family.  A family relationship is meant to be eternal.  When Jesus said, "I will build My Church!" (Matthew 16:18), the greek word for "build" is "oikos," and it refers to "a family structure."

Tom Campbell is one of Randy Wengel's spiritual sons, and Tom now pastors the Zion Apostolic Church which Randy once pastored.  Tom is taking the vision of the church even further as he takes teams out on to the streets of Winnipeg every Thursday evening where teams of anywhere from 25 to 45 people will go out in teams of two to four to look for people to share the love of Jesus, and to pray for any felt needs that they might have.  They has seen far more miracles taking place outside of the walls of the church building than they do within the walls, and others who have worked with Tom on this initiative are people like Kevin Penner and Daniel Fewster who also shared during this workshop.

Kevin Penner shared something of his journey how that he had become dry and without purpose by simply going to church without really seeing any fruit in his life.  During a trip to Cuba s few years ago, he had an encounter with the Father, and after he returned to Winnipeg, he was never the same.  He started to see many miracles take place with the street people, with blind eyes being open, deaf ears being unstopped, and the sick healed.  Many of these stories are documented on video.

Daniel Fewster from the Maranatha Niverville congregation has been working with Tom Campbell and Kevin Penner on these Thursday night outreaches, so it was fitting and appropriate that they should lead a team of some 20 people from the Convergence that was taking place in the Radisson Hotel to the Portage Place Mall, about three blocks away!  They truly took the Heart of the Father right into the Heart of the City!  Read a description of what took place in this Convergence Outreach into the inner city in the description of the Thursday afternoon activities to follow.

Evening Plenary Session

Thursday, May 3, 7:00 p.m.

Tom Flaherty, senior leader at the City Church in Madison, Wisconsin, put the capstone on the day's sessions and activities with a powerful message entitled, The Man After God's Heart.  To be a man after God's Heart means to be someone chosen by God, not man.  A man after God's heart believes God, and he is someone who chooses God!  These are the type of men and women that God is raising up who, like David, will admit their weakness so that God's strength can be perfected through them as they serve their generation by the will of God!

Here are Glen and Lois Forsberg, presently Fellowship Pastors of the FCA in Canada who when they pastored in Steinbach, Manitoba, during the 1970s and 1980s, helped to plant most of the FCA churches in southern Manitoba that organized this Convergence.  This Convergence was a part of their legacy and also of their inheritance which has blossomed from seeds that they have planted many years ago.  We need to honor our spiritual fathers and mothers, and Glen and Lois are certainly deserving of that honor!

As Glen stated in an email after the Convergence was over, "Convergence shouted life among us!  We are not dead or dying--the spiritual, relational and visionary energy among us is rising rapidly.  Thanks be to God!"

Thursday Afternoon and Friday morning Activities

Outreach Taking the Father's Heart into the Heart of the City!

The first of four different options listed in the Convergence booklet was an 'Outreach taking the Father's Heart into the Heart of the city!"  We have already mentioned the names of Tom Campbell, Kevin Penner and Daniel Fewster who shared in the morning Workshop on Apostolic Transition who now led this Outreach into the inner city during Thursday afternoon.  The young man that you see on the far right on the picture above is Riley Wall, a youth who you often saw worshiping God passionately during the Convergence with his flag.

Tom Campbell took three young people with him--Seth Toews, who is 16 years of age, from St. Anne, Manitoba, Riley Wall, the seventeen-year-old (pictured above) from Niverville, Manitoba, and Caleb Jensen, a teenager from Nebraska.  There were a lot of people mulling about, getting ready for the Jets party that evening.

They walked over to the bus stop in front of the Portage Place Mall, and prayed for a blind man from Columbia who had a friend who was helping him with his cane named Mohammed who was from Dubai.  Nothing seemed to happen initially, but Mohammed appreciated the gesture of prayer.

They invited him to receive prayer, and he agreed, as he was saying that he had a level 5 pain in his back and leg.  Tom Campbell asked Riley Wall to pray for Mohammed, and after he prayed, the pain completely left as Mohammed jolted backwards as he was hit by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He asked what that was, and they explained to him that it was the power of Jesus.

He said he loved Jesus, but was a Muslim, and he told Riley Wall that he would never forget him.  They shared the importance of inviting Jesus into his life before he had to leave.

Tom Campbell then approached two women who were also waiting for the bus, and asked if they saw what just happened to Mohammed.  They said that they hadn't.  The younger woman was the daughter of the other, and was named Eve.  She looked to be around 25 years of age.  She said she didn't believe in God, and was a sadist, but then changed that to saying that she was just an atheist.

Tom asked whether she wanted to get healed from anything.  She said it would be nice to get rid of asthma that she has had since she was two years old.  So Tom took her hand, and told her to take a deep breath, and he released the life of God into her.  Then he asked if anything had changed.  She said, "No, I feel the same."  Tom said, "That's okay, sometimes healing isn't instant."

Then she caught herself, and said, "Well, actually I do feel better.  Hey Mom, listen to my chest!"  Her mom put her head to her chest and listened for a moment, and then they both started freaking out screaming, "All the wheezing that I've had all my life is gone!"  Tom gave her his card, and asked her to call him with a full report when she gets it checked out.

Bus Excursion Tour to the Forks!

This 44-passenger bus is owned and administered by the Maranatha Church in Niverville, and is called the Niverville Community Bus inasmuch as it is made available to other churches and community organizations in the town of Niverville at reasonable rates, and is supported as a charity.  This bus was used to facilitate a Tour to the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in Winnipeg, and it turned out that exactly 44 Convergence delegates wanted to take the tour, so there was an exact number of seats available.

In this aerial view of the Forks, which is a National Historic Site, it can be seen where the Assiniboine River (which runs east and west) runs into the Red River (which runs north and south).  Prior to the coming of immigrants to North America, the Native people called this continent "Turtle Island," and this place was an ancient Gathering Place and centre of commerce, transportation and spiritual influence from antiquity.

The Tour Participants from the FCA International Convergence were taken to a cairn near the yellow arrow on the picture below, and these words on the cairn were read out to the entire group:

"One Heart, Two Rivers, Four Directions--This traditional meeting centre is the heart of Turtle Island.  Two rivers below you--The Red to your left flows north, and the Assiniboine to your right that flows east--and the waterways to which they are linked connect all indigenous nations across North America to this place, also known as the Forks."

Another nearby cairn reads:
"While the rivers before you--the Red and the Assiniboine--may look insignificant, they and the strategic junction they form are at the heart of a vast continental transportation network.  Key events in Western Canada's history have taken place here.  These two rivers and their associated events give the Forks its distinction as a National Historic Site."

The yellow arrow on this picture points to the traditional meeting area where the First Nations do their ceremonies and drumming circles as they have done for centuries.  The FCA International Convergence delegates were taken right to this site for a time of information, prophetic declaration and prayer.

It was pointed out the spiritual influence that has gone out from this place.  Many traditional native elders have encouraged their people to turn against the church, and to return to their old religion, inasmuch as so many have a memory of pain and emotional wounding that has come from the experience of so many under the Residential School System.  Many are convinced that the Jesus of the Residential Schools is the Jesus that the Church as a whole still stands for, and they want no part of it.

This has caused issues concerning First Nations to be front and centre on the Canadian national agenda today, and particularly has caused many within all of the people groups within Canada to harden their hearts against the gospel of Jesus Christ because of the way that He was misrepresented in so many of the Residential Schools.  Many now portray the church as an agent of injustice rather than as an agent of healing for the brokenhearted and emotionally wounded.

Here is a closer-up view of the First Nations Meeting Place where the group met to appeal to the Father in heaven.  Our prayer was that the heart of our Father and of His extravagant love for all will be revealed throughout our land!  This is the spot where traditional drumming often takes place.  The native drum is an instrument that can penetrate into the spirit world, but the drum itself is only an instrument.  Good or evil does not exist in the drum itself, but Jesus clearly taught that good and evil proceed from the heart.  Matthew 12:34, 35; 15:18, 19.  See also Proverbs 4:23.  

The Native Drum can be used in the heart of a liberated worshiper to penetrate into the realm of the Holy Spirit, and to bring down strongholds, and thoughts in people's minds that exalt themselves above the true knowledge of God our Father, the true Origin and Source of every one of us, the One in whom we live and move and have our breath!

God is the Creator of all things.  The devil never created anything.  Everything that has been created has been designed by God for a loving, redemptive purpose, and intended to be used to fill the earth with the knowledge of the Father's love as opposed to the anger and bitterness that is often released when God's gifts are misdirected or misused.  Many believe that the restoration of the Native Drum by First Nations believers whose heart is to use it for God's glory alone is the beginning of a movement that will awaken the sleeping giant in North America, and cause the church to awaken and to rise up to spread the true knowledge of the heavenly Father in a way that will deeply penetrate hearts.

Right from this very spot, we read the proclamation that was in the lyrics to the song by Beckah Shae that was shared on the opening night of the Convergence on Tuesday, May 1.  To refresh your memory, the video can be seen here.

Together, we repeated the lyrics, some of which are:

"And His blood has ransomed people for God
 From every tribe and language, people, every nation.
 Where warriors have fallen, there's a resurrection comin'.
 It's your time to rise and shine, Oh, wake up, you sleeping giant!"

"Your heartbeat, I feel it, I feel it, Your heartbeat, I feel it, I feel it.

"Brave ones, stand firm and listen to your destiny, the rhythm of our Father moves with victory!

"Yeshua, bring us together, bring us together, Together we cry out for Your heartbeat!"

Two of the internationals who were a part of the delegation then led us out in powerful prayers for redemption and restoration of that which has been lost in the nations.  Pastor Eldrick Lal who originates from Pakistan, and Bishop Robinson Matende who came to us directly from Kenya, led out!  Both church leaders confirmed to us that they are contending for the release of the indigenous drum within the church of their nations as well, and they, too, are seeing the release of the Father's heartbeat connecting the heavenly and the earthly within their part of the earth in Africa and the Middle East.

It was pointed out that it is Spirituality (whether Christian, Pagan or Atheist) that informs culture (which is the heart language of every nation).  Culture in turn informs Politics, and it is Politics that informs Legislation.  By the time that we get to the legislative stage, we are moving at a stage which is far downstream from culture.  Legislation only addresses the external aspects of change, but culture is the language of the heart, and impacts the interior world of people, the heart, and it is out of the heart that the issues of life proceed.  Proverbs 4:23.

So when certain things become ingrained at the heart level within a certain culture, the church is fighting a losing battle if it tries to effect change at the legislative level which is far downstream from culture, as it is trying to shift externally what is already ingrained internally within the culture through beliefs (whether true or false) at the heart level.  

Only an ability to penetrate the hearts of people by the power of the gospel message assisted with songs, sounds and dances that connect with the hearts of people through belief in a loving heavenly Father will result in long lasting and permanent transformation.  In this way, the church will have a message that can bring transformation by way of the heart, and be more proactive in effecting change rather than merely reacting to the things that are wrong, which will get us nowhere in influencing people and engaging their hearts.

This is not to say at all that there is not a place for involvement in politics as a legitimate calling, but a wise politicians will understand that he or she will not effect permanent change by political action that is not accompanied by a spiritual renewal, and a turning of the hearts of the people back to the Lord their God!

Some might ask, "What is the biblical basis of releasing new sounds and new songs into the church?"

First of all, the Spirit-filled life (Ephesians 5:18) is evidenced by the singing not only of psalms (singing the scriptures), and hymns (which are learned songs previously written), but also spiritual songs, which are new and creative songs given by the Holy Spirit, songs which we were not previously familiar with, but which are valid and needed parts of free and spontaneous worship.  Ephesians 5:19, 20; Colossians 3:16.

Furthermore, the New Testament teaches that there is no sound, no voice and no language that is without meaning or significance.  Just like speaking in tongues needs to be interpreted within the context of the church, even so the meaning of spiritual songs and sounds need to be interpreted so that in the church, the unlearned will have understanding as to the meaning.

"There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance" (I Corinthians 14:10, NKJV).  The word translated as "languages" here in the is the greek word phone, which has been variously translated as "languages, voices and sounds."  The Strong's Concordance, in giving definition to the verb form of the word says that it means "to emit a sound (human or instrumental), to address in words or by name, or to address for any purpose; saying, language, voice." (Strong's Concordance #5455 and #5456).

The context here in I Corinthians 13 and 14 that Paul is talking about languages (either learned or a heavenly language), voices, and sounds, both human voices and those of an instrument.  He refers, for example, to need for a trumpet to issue a clear sound, because the meaning of the sound was to prepare the people for battle.  I Corinthians 14:10.  He similarly refers to the need for the flute and the harp to have a clear sound, so that it will be known what is being piped or played.  I Corinthians 14:7.  Can the sound of the Native Drum not also have significance and meaning?

Since the meaning of the greek word phone can refer to either a human or an instrumental sound, should we not be looking for the meaning of the sound of the drum in the hand of a liberated worshiper rather than condemning the drum outright as if something is wrong just because we do not understand it?  Just like we should pray for the interpretation of the meaning of an utterance in tongues in the Church before we reject it, should we not be seeking for the meaning of a Native Drum number?  The word translated "meaning" or "significance of the sound" mentioned in I Corinthians 14:11 is the word "dunamis," from which we get the English word "dynamite."

It is the very same word used in Acts 1:8 referring to receiving the power of the Holy Spirit from on high.  Once we know the meaning of a word, a voice, a sound, a language, it will have a dynamic, dynamite, dunamis effect so that we can explain the meaning of what is happening with those who are unfamiliar, but who are open enough to ask the question, "Whatever could this mean?" (Acts 2:12).  This is what happened on the Day of Pentecost when Peter rose up to explain the meaning of the sound from heaven and the languages that were being heard, and that this was all in fulfillment of the Promise of the Father to send the Holy Spirit out on the earth in the last days!

To round out our afternoon at the Forks, some of the delegates browsed around the Market Place area while others went up on an elevator to a lookout station on a tour where they could get a better view of the two rivers (the Red and the Assiniboine) converging at this place which was known for many hundreds of years as "the heart of Turtle Island" which we presently call North America.  From this point, the indigenous tribes could link to other waterways all over the continent to the north, the south, the east and the west!  As the cairn says on the site:  "One Heart, Two Rivers, Four Directions"--This is a strategic junction that was at the heart of a vast continental transportation network.

There was also a greater appreciation of why Winnipeg, even today, is called the "Heart of the Continent," and why the organizers of the 2018 FCA International Convergence chose the theme, "The Heart of the Father in the Heart of the Continent."  May we all be able to clearly hear and to listen to the Father's heartbeat for all the nations, and to flow in rhythm with His heartbeat of love for His people in every tribe and nation upon the earth!

It is of added significance that the since December of 2013, Manitoba's Tourism Industry has had a new slogan: Manitoba:  Canada's Heart Beats!